Ling She Xiang Bao — the zodiac Snake (2013): high-mountain big-tree leaf from the Lancang River banks, tight round cake.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2013 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 357g cake · big-tree leaf · DaYi (Menghai Tea Factory)
- Compression & dry leaf: The tea comes as a 357g cake, tightly pressed. Look for neat, tight threads and visible buds in the dry leaf.
- Liquor: In the cup it shows a golden color, bright throughout.
- Taste: Through the middle infusions, floral notes come forward over a sweet and rich base.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body comes across as thick, full-bodied and rounded.
- Aftertaste: Look for a strong hui gan and plenty of salivation after each cup.
- Best for: improving your tea experience; it rewards slower brewing and is a good next step after your first few sheng teas.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Steps:
- Add tea (about 5g per 100ml).
- Rinse once: cover the leaves with boiling water for about 5 seconds, then discard. Put the lid on and let the leaves rest for about 10 minutes to open up.
- Steep for 10–15 seconds for the first rounds, adding about 5 seconds each round.
- Pour into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve. Sheng puerh resteeps well for many rounds.
- Treat these as starting points rather than fixed rules. Try high or low pours, fast or slow, and brew in different seasons to find the method that suits you. Brewing the same tea well in any year, season, weather or place takes practice, and that skill is the real goal.
Storage
Keep the cake ventilated, cool and dry, away from sunlight and strong odors (kitchen spices, smoke). For long-term aging, paper or clay containers breathe better than sealed plastic.
A Note on Appearance
Not every cake shows these, but they can occur, especially in teas with more years of storage.
- Bamboo powder (zhu fen): a natural sign of traditional bamboo-husk packing. In Guangdong's warm, humid climate, tiny bamboo insects can make their home in the husk, nibbling the husk and cotton paper wrapper while leaving the tea itself untouched. What they leave behind is a fine powder, seen only on certain teas and more often on aged ones. It is harmless to hygiene; a few strokes with a clean toothbrush or soft brush before brewing is all it takes.
- Tea oil spots: yellowish spots may appear and can come from natural tea oils. They are not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: small tears or holes in the cotton paper may happen during storage and handling. The tea inside is unaffected.
